Download How species and functional diversity drive the decomposition of

This project has received funding from the Federal Ministry of
Education and Research and the European Union’s Seventh
Framework Programme for research, technological development
and demonstration under grant agreement no 605728
Ecosystem functioning in forests
How species and functional diversity drive the decomposition of woody debris
Sebastian Seibold
Background:
Experiment 2:
The loss of biodiversity worldwide is threatening the provision of
Manipulation of beetle communities colonizing dead-wood logs enclosed
ecosystem services, such as the decomposition of organic matter and
in insect-proof cages to form gradients of species richness and functional
the cycling of nutrients and carbon. Dead wood is a major pool of organic
diversity.
matter in forested ecosystems and forms habitat for many species.
 Is the number of species or the functional composition more
Wood-inhabiting organisms, such as fungi and insects, contribute
important for decomposition of wood?
significantly to wood decomposition. However, it remains unclear how
changes in biodiversity and the functional composition of species
assemblages may affect decomposition rates of dead wood. Moreover,
the role of different taxa is likely to vary geographically and relative to
climate but overall patterns are unknown.
Objectives:
1. Untangle the role of biodiversity and functional diversity of deadwood dependent beetles for wood decomposition
2. Untangle the effects of interactions between fungi and beetles on
wood decomposition
Experiment 3:
Comparison of decomposition rates of dead-wood branches protected
3. Evaluate the relative contribution of insects and fungi to wood
decomposition relative to climate on a global scale
and unprotected from insects in a network of 50 replicated sites along
worldwide gradients of temperature and precipitation.
 How changes the contribution of insects and microbes to wood
Experiment 1:
decomposition relative to global climate?
Experimental exposure of 400 m³ of dead wood on 60 plots in the
© Osmo Heikkala
© Soyean Bae
© Yvonne Cakpo
© Tmoas Pavlicek
Bavarian Forest National Park covering gradients of microclimate, deadwood amount and dead-wood diversity. Dead-wood dependent beetles
and fungi were recorded for four years and will be linked to wood
decomposition rates.
 How interact beetle and fungal communities (co-occurrence,
vectoring, symbioses)?
 How do these interactions affect decomposition rates?
© SimonThorn
© Michael Ulyshen
Outgoing host: Marc. W. Cadotte, University of Toronto
All photographs by Sebastian Seibold, besides where indicated differently.
German host: Wolfgang W. Weisser, Technische Universität
München